Fresh Kills Landfill, Former landfill in Staten Island, United States.
Fresh Kills Landfill is a former waste disposal site on Staten Island in New York, covering around 2,200 acres and formed by four main mounds holding approximately 150 million tons of municipal solid waste. The landscape today looks like an open grassland with gentle rises, beneath which layers of compacted material rest.
The site began receiving thousands of tons of household trash daily starting in 1948, reaching its peak capacity in 1986 with up to 29,000 tons processed each day. It closed in 2001 after more than half a century of handling waste generated by the city.
The name comes from the Dutch word for waterways and refers to the tidal channels in this area, now part of a restored wetland environment. Visitors can watch from public viewpoints as native grasses and reintroduced bird populations return to the open terrain.
The grounds include a network of pipes and facilities that collect and process methane gas released by decomposing material beneath the surface. Public areas are accessible in selected sections, offering trails and open spaces for visitors who wish to explore the terrain.
After the attacks of September 11, 2001, the grounds temporarily reopened to receive and examine materials from Ground Zero. Specialized teams worked there to systematically search through the debris for traces and personal belongings of the victims.
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